Toreros get in swing of things

Kirk Kenney | Special to the U-T

The San Diego State-USD baseball series has been marked by big swings in recent years.

SDSU won 10 of the past 13 games coming into this season. Before that, USD won 10 of 12 meetings. That the Toreros took both games this weekend — winning Friday 6-3 and Sunday 9-2 — could signal another swing.

Here’s another swing thought: Restrictions put on the bats this season are noticeably impacting the game. It was evident several times Sunday. Better get used to it.

“It’s changed the game, there’s no question, back to when we didn’t have all these nuclear bats,” said USD coach Rich Hill. “The ball just doesn’t travel as far.”

USD catcher Zack Kometani hit a ball hard in the sixth that seemed destined to dent the outfield wall, or at least find the gap in left-center. SDSU center fielder Pat Colwell caught up to it and made a routine catch.

USD center fielder Kevin Muno welcomes the change to come in.

“I’ve always been pretty comfortable going back on the ball, so it kind of plays into my defensive game,” said Muno. “I’ve been pinching guys way in.”

So close has Muno been playing that he said, “it’s going to be interesting to see what our assist totals are.”

It is surprising to see outfielders play so shallow, some seemingly positioned just a few steps beyond the edge of the infield.

“That’s what USD did,” said SDSU coach Tony Gwynn. “The right fielder was shallow. The left fielder was shallow.

“(SDSU’s Mitch) Bluman hit a ball that I thought was going to drop in. The left fielder was standing right there. He didn’t even have to run to get it. Just stood there and caught it.”

Outfielders still have to respect players with power, like USD newcomer Kris Bryant, who had two balls carry beyond the wall for homers in Friday’s game.

“He’s different though,” said Muno. “He’s special.”

Bryant is that.

“I hit some balls in high school where I got jammed and they’d (still) go over the fence,” said Bryant, a freshman from Las Vegas. “It plays true (now). If you don’t get it good, it’s not going to go over the fence.”

SDSU right fielder Brandon Meredith wishes he had been cheating in more on a ball hit by USD’s Dillon Checkal in the fourth inning. Meredith broke late on the sinking liner and had it short hop him for a single.

“As far as hitting, it takes a lot of distance off the ball,” said Meredith. “But the difference I feel is in the outfield. You can’t really tell how hard the ball is being hit because it doesn’t make any sound.”

Said Gwynn: “You’re going to have to just play games to figure out what you can and can’t do.”

There will be plenty of opportunity for that this week. The Aztecs play No. 2-ranked UCLA on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Tony Gwynn Stadium. SDSU (1-5) and USD (3-3) then trade off playing host to No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 14 UConn and No. 17 Cal later in the week.